1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surgical blade handle and more particularly concerns an improved surgical blade handle that provides for easier attachment of the surgical blade thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Surgical blade handles which allow removable attachment of disposable surgical blades are used in numerous surgical procedures. These handles provide the advantage of allowing the surgeon to choose the exact type of blade required for each surgical procedure and, if necessary, to change blades during a surgical procedure. The blades are relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of the handles so that a new sharp blade can be used for each surgical procedure and discarded after that use.
Known surgical blades are made from sheet steel and have a sharp cutting edge and a longitudinal slot therein for cooperating with structure on the handle to allow the removable attachment of the blade to the handle. The longitudinal slot in known blades includes a narrow distal portion and a wide proximal portion. Known handles have a tang portion projecting outwardly from a distal end of the gripping portion of the handle. The tang typically has a raised portion on its side and two opposed longitudinal grooves originating at the distal tip of the tang and running along the tang approximately along the intersection of the raised portion and the tang. Known surgical blades and reusable handles are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,287,411 to Parker, 1,639,996 to Groff and 3,256,874 to DeMarco.
A disadvantage of these known handles can be observed while attaching a known blade to the handle. Specifically, once the narrow portion of the blade slot engages the grooves in the handle tang the blade is bent, with the portion of the blade near the narrow portion of the slot being aligned with the grooves and the end of the wide portion of the slot riding on the top surface of the raised portion. The blade must be forced along the grooves until the full length of the narrow portion of the blade slot engages the grooves and the portion of the blade containing the wide portion of the slot snaps over the end of the raised portion of the tang. During this forcing engagement procedure, there is a risk that the user may be injured if the hand held blade slips. A similar risk of injury is also present during blade removal. Injury can be significant since the blade is designed to efficiently cut human flesh. Even if an instrument, such as forceps, is used to hold the blade there is still a chance of damaging the presently known blade or of accidental dropping of the blade and/or handle or of accidental cutting. Also, if the blade slips within the forceps, there is the potential for generating metal particles that could be deposited in the surgical patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,840 to Rumer, Jr. teaches a surgical blade package, with a pouch design, which allows the user to install a blade on a handle by grasping the exterior of the pouch, which contains the blade, and forcing the handle tang into the pouch. It is apparent that high attachment forces could possibly cause the smooth sharp surgical blade to slice through the pouch material and injure the user.
Although the prior art addresses reusable handles that provide structure for the removable attachment of surgical blades there is still a need for a simple, straightforward, easily fabricated surgical blade handle which offers lower assembly forces and reduced potential for accidental cutting and blade damage.